01 Petrol Mondeo taking ages to heat up

long_b

01 Mondeo taking ages to get the heating to warm (takes about an 8 minute drive)

Heating hasn't been right for a while - it's either freezing or boiling. Any chance it could be an easy fix (like topping up some fluid)?

I'm pretty hopeless with cars

KK4SAM

Sounds like the thermostat is sticking open and closed at times.
Any chance you could check the coolant level ?

long_b

KK4SAM wrote: »

Sounds like the thermostat is sticking open and closed at times.
Any chance you could check the coolant level ?

That'd be in a plastic ball?

KK4SAM

Looks like this ?
[IMG][/img]

Did ya check the fluid level ?

long_b

Bone dry God love it.

Any recommendations on which coolant I should get ?

http://www.halfords.ie/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/SearchCmd?srch=coolant&action=search&storeId=11101&catalogId=15551&langId=-1

biko

Don't mix various coolants. Find out what's in there right now.
Is there any coolant at all? Colour? Something written is a service book?

As nights now may drop subzero you can't just add water as it may freeze.

You also need to get an opinion on why it's dry in the first place. A local mechanic can help with both issues.

long_b

There's no liquid at all that I can see in there at the moment.
Could i be empty from pure neglect ? I've had it a few years and the heater has been been dodgy for ages.

biko

You may have a very small leak. A large leak would cause the car to start overheating for lack of coolant.
You can ask the mechanic to drain the coolant and fill fresh coolant, this should be done every once in a while anyway.

Mister Jingles

Your not on your own here, mine has been doing the same for a while now as well. Your doing okay at 8 minutes, mine takes longer.

mickdw

Mister Jingles wrote: »

Your not on your own here, mine has been doing the same for a while now as well. Your doing okay at 8 minutes, mine takes longer.

The mind boggles.
You wouldn't think of having it checked?

Mister Jingles

mickdw wrote: »

The mind boggles.
You wouldn't think of having it checked?

Such a typical motors forum reply there....

And yes to answer your question, twice actually, apparently it's quite normal in cold weather I've been told.

savagethegoat

when the average Irish driver starts servicing his car properly (or at all) I'll walk barefoot to Chelsea

_Brian

Would such a low coolant level for a long period not damage the engine through overheating. I'd have thought if it was low enough to affect the heater core then it couldn't be cooling the engine properly.

Standards of car maintenance in this country is indeed poor. Was looking at small cars recently for my mum and so many just have no service records at all - none, not even an intermittently stamped book.

Stoolbend

Is it petrol or diesel?

MadDog76

Stoolbend wrote: »

Is it petrol or diesel?

Check the thread title ..........

Stoolbend

My bad.

Greyfoot

Bone dry God love it.

That`ll be the likely problem lots of air in the system can produce hot/cold phases.

Sounds like the thermostat is sticking open and closed at times.

It is usually either, if its stuck closed the coolant temp would rise.

Such a typical motors forum reply there....

And yes to answer your question, twice actually, apparently it's quite normal in cold weather I've been told.

Get a third opinion, a running engine with closed bonnet would only take marginally more time to heat up in cold weather(except under -15C or so), its inside the cabin that you feel a lot colder and takes more time to heat up.